Hull New Theatre – until 9th November 2024
Reviewed by Dawn Bennett
3***
Jamie Wilson, Jack Maple, Gavin Kalin, Kevin McCollum and Jason Haigh-Ellery present the Curve production of An Officer and a Gentleman the Musical. With the book by Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen and directed by Nikolai Foster.
This production does follow the same story line as the film, it is set in 1980’s America and tells the story of Zack Mayo (Luke Baker) who has enrolled in the gruelling 12-week training programme to become an officer in the US navy. All the new recruits want to be pilots but only the very best stay until the end and if Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Chris Breistein) has anything to do with it the course will be very hard to pass.
Some of the local women work in the paper factory and dream of escaping the drudgery of everyday life. Paula Pokrifki (Georgia Lennon) and her friend Lynette Pomeroy (Sinead Long) are no exception. Paulas mother Esther Pokrifki (Melanie Masson) got pregnant with Paula with one of the officer candidates so she tries to warn her daughter not to get involved. But Paula doesn’t take any notice and gets together with Zack and Lynette with another officer trainee Sid Worley (Paul French). We then follow the turbulent times ahead especially when tragedy strikes the group of trainees.
The band, Jonny Knight, Alex Ward, Alexia Barbera and Noah Key led by musical director Christopher Duffy, played the large music selection very well. The songs which included Livin’ on a prayer, Girls just wanna have fun, The final countdown and other 80’s classics were instantly recognisable to me as a fan of 80’s music.
If you are a fan of the film from 1982 An Officer and a Gentleman and a toe tapping jukebox musical this is the show for you.